senior wellness.htm

RIDGEWOOD VETERINARY HOSPITAL

Hands That Heal, Hearts That Care

Senior Wellness

Dear Client,

For those of us who have reached or passed middle age it is obvious that it takes a little more effort to stay in shape and maintain good health. Sometimes a vague stiffness sneaks into our daily routine and for those less fortunate, arthritis may cause even greater discomfort. Perhaps you get tired climbing the stairs more than earlier in your life. Weight will become a problem for many and this excess weight will cause a number of other problems. Those of you who have not reached this point in life will unless you are proactive and do everything possible to maintain your health and youthful state. The good news is that living a healthy, pain free, active life in our senior years is very possible. We simply have to start as soon as possible.

We need to recognize that our pets will experience the same age related issues that we do but at a rate approximately seven times faster. Remember that dogs and cats age approximately seven years for each year that a human ages, and most dogs and cats are considered to be seniors when they reach seven years old. The difference between our pets and us is that humans have been taught to complain and pets do not know how to complain. Many times older pets are considered to be just slowing down due to age when they are actually suffering form the pain of arthritis or having difficulty seeing to come down the stairs. Some of us have aches and pains in hips, knees, or backs that we wish were not there yet we show no outward signs of pain, i.e. limping. We should not assume that because our pets are not limping that they are not in pain. They just do not complain. Did you ever notice how grandma gets up slowly from a chair because of her painful joints? How about Fido or Fluffy? Are they getting up slower than they used to?

Some pet owners will notice an increase in water consumption that may indicate early kidney insufficiency, diabetes, liver disease, or hyperthyroidism. Rather than providing the care necessary to help the pet, these same people may reduce the water provided for the pet so they can make it through the night. This is the worst choice they can make as drinking more water is the bodies way of compensating for diseases such as kidney insufficiency.

Medical history shows that if a pet is not hit by a car or killed by cancer they are most likely to die because of failure of the heart, liver, or kidneys. Unfortunately some dogs and cats are probably euthanized before their time because they suffer from arthritis that was never treated properly. The good news is that veterinary medicine has advanced at an incredible rate over the past ten years. Our ability to detect disease early is truly amazing and relatively simple and inexpensive. The armament of medicines, nutriceuticals, and therapies rivals, and in some cases exceeds, what is available for humans.

The key to having our four legged family members with us comfortably and for as long as possible is early detection of disease and early treatment. Our highly trained doctors and caring staff wants to make this dream of healthy longevity come true for you and your pets. Please call today to make an appointment for a Senior Wellness Exam and associated testing. Your pets and you will benefit greatly from this encounter and hopefully have a longer and healthier life together.

Dean J. Cerf, D.V.M.

Hospital Director

RIDGEWOOD VETERINARY HOSPITAL